JD Healthcare Increases Access to Healthcare by Going Digital

JD internet hospital uses its online presence to handle the demands of patients and consumers. A free online consultation launched in January 2020 turned to a useful gateway for patients to consult its internet hospital, especially after a coronavirus outbreak when accessing physical healthcare facilities was a challenge. The first beneficiaries of internet hospital consultation were patients with symptoms like fatigue, fever, coughing, and diarrhea.

JD healthcare in February expanded to include consultation for all diseases, including those that require specialists like pediatricians or cardiologists. Online consultation helped to reduce the risk of cross-infection that may occur when people congregate at hospitals. The internet hospital relieves pressure from healthcare centers as patients can consult a professional remotely at their convenience.

Imbalances in Medical Resources that Internet Hospital is Solving

According to many people, Tier 3 hospitals in China are the only public health institutions that can provide quality medical care. However, they are just 1,442 across the country and situates in big cities, creating a scarcity of medical resources in rural areas. Patients in these regions have challenges in accessing proper medical treatment.

One of them is Ms. Wu Yan, a seven-year Vitiligo patient from a remote Zhangzhou village. She suffered a huge expense for four years by making countless 100-kilometer trips between Zhangzhou and Xiamen to find a doctor as nearby hospitals could not treat her illness. She could not even find drugs that her friends recommended at local stores. Cases like that of Wu are widespread outside big cities because the distribution of medical resources is imbalanced. Wu only got a reprieve after consulting JD Health.

30,000 Doctors Offering Consultancy Online

JD.com subsidiary JD Health is an active player in utilizing technology and e-commerce platform to run internet hospitals that integrate physical examinations with a virtual consultation. It provides a solution that saves patients from traveling distances to meet a doctor. JD has a team of over 30,000 doctors providing professional medical consultation that people could not access with ease. JD Health has drawn doctors from 32 provinces and regions. A large number (62%) of doctors are from Tier-3 hospitals, and they provide answers to patients within three in 90% of the consultations.

Dr. Xiaoyan Wang, a Beijing Tiantan Hospital dermatologist, is one of the JD health and wellness specialists who has served many patients online and got many positive reviews. Dr. Wang reveals he has worked at JD internet hospital “for nearly two years, serving almost 3,000 patients including Ms. Wu Yan.

Wu uploaded medical records onto the JD Internet Hospital platform and got a treatment plan from Dr. Wang. It was more efficient than the previous treatment plans because her side effects disappeared, and she has seen a significant improvement within a year of treatment.

Wu appreciates the professionalism of Dr. Wang because “she is patient with questions.” Wu adds that Wang’s consultation and treatment have given her confidence. Wu is just one example of patients who have benefitted from the convenience and professionalism of JD Internet Hospital medical services.

Free Consultations and Preventative Measures Against Coronavirus

JD healthcare consultancy has almost 200 full-time physicians and thousands of expert physicians offering various medical consultancy services on the internet hospital platform. The daily average consultation volume of the platform reached 10,000 since launch. Nearly 60% of free consultation requests belong to the respiratory department.

JD Health added a free hotline service to people requiring psychological support, especially the frontline medical workers serving in an intense and stressful environment. Since the pandemic outbreak, JD Health has ensured a constant drug supply and promised not to increase prices. Direct cooperation with established pharmaceutical firms allows logistical speed for consumers to get the right medicine for their illness on time.

JD Health also organizes free to access live stream experiences by medical experts and administrators who experienced the SARS epidemic in 2003. The live streams provide information on coronavirus prevention, reducing epidemic relating anxiety, and psychological counseling.

Cooperation Status with Hospitals and Governments

JD Health is using digital healthcare to increase accessibility and enhance services in hospitals across the country. First People’s Hospital in Jiangsu province is a good example of cooperation with the hospital. Patients who get medical service from the hospital can use WeChat’s Smart Clinic to consult doctors from home. Smart Clinic also facilitates insurance payments for treatment at Suqian City.

JD Health cooperates with the local governments in areas like Beijing, Tangshan city, and the Autonomous Region of Guangxi Zhuang. It has connected JD health and wellness free consultation platforms to those that belong to public health services run by local governments.

Unicorn

JD.com launched JD Health as its third Unicorn after it completed a funding round of US$1 million. The startup valued at about US$7 billion is a business model that JD Health explores to provide patients with a simpler, safer method to find a doctor. It also established a platform for cardiology consultation and committed to the management of chronic diseases.

JD Health CEO Xin Lijun says it aims to “lessen imbalance in the medical resources to reduce cost for patients and increase income for doctors.”